The Lost Key Quandary
by WildCityGirl
Summary: Sheldon lost his key again. Penny's having a party, Leonard's still at work, but what about Amy? Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Sheldon doesn't forget

The Lost Key Quandary

**A/N: Hi! This idea originally came from this key I found on the floor one day in an advanced mathematics classroom, so I guess you could see who I thought of first. Dedicated to Rubyanjel, because she's awesome, and to the Homines Novi themselves! Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Sheldon doesn't forget**  
**

* * *

It was early, just before lunch, when Sheldon arrived at 2311 Los Robles. He had just gotten kicked out of Caltech for the day. Something about being charged for disruption of private workspace A.K.A. bothering President Siebert in the restrooms one too many times.

"Some people are just so sensitive." He muttered while climbing the stairs to his apartment.

He heard music, some weird, repetitive rhythm coming from Penny's apartment.

"Oh dear lord." He sighed, shaking his head. He proceeded to knock on her door impatiently. In exactly 15 minutes he had to order lunch and he was stuck here dealing with the fact that his neighbor had loud and displeasing tastes in music.

"Hello crazy man." Penny said brightly, the music blasting louder now since the door was opened.

"I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested." He replied tersely. He briefly glanced at his watch in silent countdown before speaking again. "Why is there repulsive music playing from this apartment at this time?"

Penny rolled her eyes.

"I'm having people over, some of my acting school classmates."

"People?"

"Uh, yeah. People."

"I don't like people."

"Go figure."

Sheldon huffed.

"Why do you have the need to have even more friends? Isn't Amy and Bernadette enough? And they're quiet."

"Amy's working at home and Bernadette's in her lab." Penny said coolly.

"Well you're getting a strike."

"Whatever you say doc." Penny said with a final roll of her eyes, she shut the door.

"AT LEAST QUIET DOWN." He said through the wood, unsurprisingly resulting in a higher decimal level from within apartment 4b. Sheldon sighed and made his way to his door.

"She's taking the class." He muttered under his breath while reaching into his pocket for his keys.

His fingers grazed over his cellphone which had vibrated suddenly just as he was moving his fingers away. Sheldon frowned, reaching back into his pocket to retrieve his iphone. A text flashed across the screen.

**_Amy Farrah Fowler_**

_Hello Sheldon, do you have anything planned for lunch? I'd like to discuss our next date night over a sandwich and some sashimi. I could pick you up from Caltech if you'd like. Reply promptly. Good day._

Sheldon started typing out a refusal due to the inconvenience it posed for him. He had the message typed out when he reached his hand into his pocket once again. It was empty.

Sheldon's eyes widened as he checked his other pocket, then his windbreaker, then his satchel.

"Not again." He sighed, tucking his phone back in his pocket. He looked at his door lock for a moment, silently hoping he could harness the power of the force. After a few moments he turned back to the music filled apartment across the hall.

"Of all the…" Sheldon began knocking in his usual pattern if not slightly louder through the racket going on inside.

"Hello again Sheldon." Penny said smirking slightly.

"Penny, your guests aren't even here yet, there is no reason why you should –"

'What do you want Sheldon?" She asked tiredly, leaning against the doorpost.

"My spare key." He replied, holding his hand out. Penny looked at his empty palm before bursting out in a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny?!" he exclaimed, mentally noting that it was most certainly past his regular lunch time.

"Well, you forgot your keys again." She said, smirking.

"I didn't _forget. _I don't _forget._ I simply –"

"Yeah, okay, well, I don't have my, er, your key." Penny looked down sheepishly.

"What? Why?"

"I, uh, left it in the cheesecake factory after my last shift."

"What were you doing with –"

Penny glared at him for a moment to shut him up before continuing.

"Leonard asked if I could pick up his flashdrive for him in your apartment and, since I was running late, I didn't have time to return the key and I left it in the bar by accident." Penny said quickly to avoid further interruption. "You could always stay with me if you like."

Sheldon visibly flinched at the suggestion.

"Penny, I don't like people, loud music and stroke-inducing dips. I would rather wait in the hall."

"Suit yourself." Penny said brightly before shutting the door again, leaving the physicist to sigh. He double checked his pockets again and thinking about whether or not he should call the locksmith. He fiddled with his phone again, finally clicking it open to find his unfinished message to Amy's invitation.

"Well now that is much better than staying out here."

He quickly re-typed his reply and sent it, hurrying down the stairs.

* * *

Amy had been reading her issue of _Nueron, _looking through her own published work. A scientist must have a sense of pride after all, it does wonders to one's self-esteem. Her phone buzzed, she checked the sender, thrilled that it was her boyfriend.

**_Sheldon Cooper_**

_Delighted to partake in a meal in your company. Please pick me up at 2311, I'll explain later on. Do be quick, it is quite past my lunch time. _

Her eyes widened as she quickly placed her shoes on her feet. She grabbed her keys and ran out of her apartment, thanking the universe that she was already dressed. She dialed the sashimi place, then Quiznos, grilling the employees of both establishments to ensure that the order was made to Sheldon and her specifications before heading towards Los Robles.

* * *

"Good afternoon Sheldon." Amy beamed shyly at her boyfriend who returned it with his small smile.

"It would still be morning if Penny hadn't put up such a racket in her apartment." He said, stepping into the vehicle. "What is it with people who need to please other people with loud music and artery-clogging dip?"

"Perhaps it gives them a sense of worth."

"Might as well."

"So why aren't you at Caltech?" Amy asked at the next stoplight, turning her head slightly to see her boyfriend's clear blue eyes. Oh how she loved them.

"Some nonsense about inappropriate behavior." He replied, looking at the brunette. She smiled, turning back to the road.

"Well, you're stuck with me then."

"Quite fortunate that you were free, I was locked out of my apartment."

"Oh." Puzzled, Amy glanced at Sheldon.

"I suppose I will be lodging in your apartment for the time being." He continued, smiling. Amy blinked for a moment then broke into a huge grin, barely hiding her excitement.

"I suppose you will be."

* * *

**A/N: Well, there you go! I'll type up the next chapter as soon as I sort out the ideas floating around in my head. Meanwhile, review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Sheldon is a sucker for tea

**A/N: Well, my time management and rating skills are crap. So I'm sorry, this is about 90% completely my fault for the lateness of this chapter. As always, everyone is being lovely and your reviews are beautiful. **

_disclaimer: Anything and everything here is mostly out of memory. TBBT is not mine and there might be multiple references to other fanfics that I've read. Any mention of a real-life game, company, etc. is completely coincidental unless stated otherwise._

Chapter 2: Sheldon is a sucker for tea

* * *

"Leonard said he would pick me up at _around _eight. Can you believe that Amy? _Around._" Sheldon shook his head slightly, watching his girlfriend set up the food on her kitchen counter while he sat on the sofa.

"I'm sure he'll do his best to pick you up on a multiple of five." Amy said reassuringly carefully arranging the sashimi on a plate, with sterilized surgical gloves of course, before moving on to her sandwich, which she picked up and put on another plate.

"Who knows with fellas like him. Based on the progress he's making with his work, it's a wonder why he even has time to stop." He accepted the plate, carefully analyzing the content, making sure the pieces were aligned based on shape and freshness.

"Half-fatty, half-regular?"

"Yes."

"High-grade Tuna?"

"Yes."

"Low-sodium soy sauce?"

"Yes."

"Wasabi, grated, not paste?"

"Yes."

"Exceptional."

"Always." Amy smiled sweetly as she sat down beside her boyfriend, handing him a glass of cola. He accepted it, careful to not tip the liquid onto her couch. The brunette sat beside him, removing her gloves and neatly placing them on the coffee table.

"Isn't it strange Sheldon?" She asked, a hint of musing in her voice.

"Isn't what strange?" He asked back, a confused expression on his face as he held his sashimi half-way to his mouth.

"The fact that you can't drive." Amy took a bite of her sandwich, looking the physicist straight in the eye.

"It's not that I_ can't_ drive, it's that I _choose_ not to. And I've told you before, I'm simply too evolved for driving." Where was the vixen getting at?

"Walking is even more primitive than driving and yet you do that."

The Texan blinked for a moment before setting down his food. A debate huh?

"Irrelevant, my mother taught me how to walk before I had the brainpower to resist."

"You'd still be walking regardless."

"Untrue, if I had been trained to maximize the use of my brain power I wouldn't need a form of transportation. I could simply move my atomic structure at the speed of light. "

"Your brain runs on less than twenty watts of electricity, hardly enough for teleportation powers."

"That's based on ordinary people."

"Are you saying you're above humans?"

"I guess we'll never know."

"Then theorize. That's your job isn't it?"

"Mathematics isn't the sufficient medium here."

"But neurobiology is."

Sheldon stared at her blankly for a moment before speaking, a serious edge to his tone.

"I see where you are going and I resent it completely."

Amy only smirked as Sheldon turned away, back to his food. He casually leaned over to pick up the remote sitting on the coffee table, flipping through the channels on her television until he finally stopped on the documentary channel which was doing a special on birds.

"I've always wanted to watch these. Too bad I never had the time."

Amy cocked her head to the side slightly, bemused by her boyfriend who was unceremoniously lounging on her couch, eating cleaner-than-bleached-socks sashimi, watching a documentary on the one thing that, had it been a year before, he would climbed a tree from. The ways he has grown.

They sat there throughout the documentary in comfortable silence, Amy spouting fun facts regarding a bird's tolerance for nicotine during breaks and Sheldon commenting on the flight patterns of the average pigeon.

When the documentary would start again, they were instantly silenced, as if they had some unspoken respect for the video played in front of them. Their eyes were trained mostly on the show but Amy couldn't help but take a peek at Sheldon who couldn't help but flinch every time they showed an image of a chicken. Oh well, can't change a man's past after all.

"Well that was informative. I feel like I know a whole new part of our world." Sheldon said brightly with the proud air of a toddler who recited the alphabet for the first time.

"Well I'm proud of you Sheldon." Amy said, clearing out the coffee table from the remaining scraps of their lunch.

"Me too." He said offhandedly, helping Amy remove the plates.

* * *

"A pizza is not a pie! It's a flat piece of bread with delightful savory toppings!"

"Oh yeah? Then why do they call it pizza _PIE_?!"

"It's a cultural decision!"

"NO, IT'S A PIE!"

Leonard sighed and turned back to Howard and Raj who were bickering along the hallways of Caltech as they walked to the cafeteria.

"It was funny ten minutes ago fellas, let it go."

"Not until he admits that a pizza _pie_ is a PIE."

"Oh yeah? Pies have pastry on it dough on it."

"Not all pies."

"Yes they-"

"Will you guys just shut up?"

"Not until-"

"Just search it on Wikipedia or something!"

* * *

"Would you like a drink then Sheldon? It's too early for alcohol but tea would seem appropriate."Amy asked, moving towards her tea box because, let's face it, Doctor Sheldon Cooper is a sucker for tea.

"I have no flame to quell in the depth of my conscious, so Earl Grey would be delightful." Sheldon moved to her kitchen counter, picking out a mug.

"Excellent choice." Amy said, heating some water to the perfect temperature and pouring it before soaking the tea bag in the liquid, picking out a mild chamomile for herself and doing the same.

"So then, what do you do for fun 'round here?" Sheldon asked, the Texan accent slipping into his voice.

The question caught Amy by surprise, which surprised her as well._ What do I do for fun? I go to Penny's. _

"Uhm… I have an old set of cards somewhere around here but usually I just go to Penny's or watch a movie." Or _read a romance novel or brush my teeth_. She shrugged, slightly embarrassed at not having an answer as whimsical as Sheldon would have most likely preferred.

"Oh I suppose we could make do with a card game, I've got a good one. It's called Element-jack, it's like blackjack, but you have to get a certain atomic number to win. I made it up back home when I was ten." He said proudly, taking a sip from his mug and standing to find the said cards.

"That sounds brilliant, basic, but brilliant." Amy smiled behind her own cup that she was holding.

"That was the intention." Sheldon replied looking at Amy with the same look of happiness that he showed whenever he was understood. "Aha!" He exclaimed, finding the old deck tucked away behind a book on primate hygiene.

"Here we go. Amy?" He asked, motioning for her to take the pack of cards, probably for shuffling. She took a quick sip, pleased that she didn't scald her tongue, and moved to take the deck. He sat on a chair by the couch while Amy sat on her sofa.

"Now the rules are simple, we check the first card on the deck and pick an element from that same period. If it's a double digit, or a jack, queen, king, etc., just add the numbers together jack being eleven so that would add up to two and so forth. Eight and nine would be the separated actinide and lanthanide groups respectively. " He paused for a moment to look at Amy who still seemed to be thoroughly shuffling the cards. She looked up for a bit and nodded slightly to indicate that she was still listening.

"Then we proceed to take two cards each, taking another or more if we wish, add up the total and whoever gets the closest to the atomic number of the chosen element, wins the round." He beamed watching Amy who was patting down the deck and handing it back to Sheldon.

"Sounds good, one question though, is there a consequence system?" Amy asked, cocking her head to the side with a mischievous edge in her smile.

"Well no."

"Why not?" She asked, scooting closer to the edge of the couch, and by extension, Sheldon.

"It's not gambling Amy." She sat back, her smile fell slightly, but she was not discouraged.

"How about this, whenever one of us wins, we ask a question to the other, something personal." She said, biting her lip, hoping her boyfriend doesn't catch on to her scheme.

"A little out of my comfort zone, but alright."

The neurobiologist smiled, this will be fun.

* * *

**A/N: Right, awkward moment with the boys there for a bit. I honestly think I put them there because that very pizza debate has been on my mind for a while. As always, review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Sheldon is full of surprises

**A/N: I literally have no excuse for being late, nor do I deserve one, but if you aren't angry with me, that's great. If you are, that means you must have some interest in the story and that's awesome. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. I really am not for long chapters. I just can't do it like that.**

* * *

"Three of hearts!"

"Alright, so then the third period, I choose magnesium, atomic number twelve!"

The pair drew their cards and adjusted the numbers as they saw fit. They flipped their cards to show each other revealing Amy's total of eight to Sheldon's total of ten.

"Alright, ask your question." Amy said playfully, collecting the cards and putting them down in a separate pile.

"Why don't you have a bath thermometer?"

Amy gave Sheldon a skeptical look for a moment before answering.

I don't need a bath thermometer."

"But then how would you be able to determine the optimal temperature for the perfectly relaxing experience?"

"I live on the wild side."

Sheldon blinked a couple of times before nodding his head, motioning for Amy to deal out the next few cards. It was Sheldon's win.

"Why do you have two toothbrushes?"

"Uhm, I use it for extra cleaning…?"

"Oh. That's good."

"Have you ever had a crush before? Like in college, or at work?"

"No, of course not."

"Right, okay."

"Do you prefer Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto as Spock?"

"Um, is he the one with the light-sword thing?"

"Nevermind you're a hopeless cause."

"Thank god."

The pair played round after round, question after question until they reached iron, number tweny-six. They quickly picked up cards shuffling through them before revealing their sums. Sheldon got a 21, Amy reached 25.

"Alright, ask your question."

Amy hesitated. She knew exactly what to ask, but she also knew he wouldn't be ready for this. She did trust him not to flee…right?

"Sheldon do you love m-" Amy stopped mid-word as Sheldon looked up at her curiously. "…aaaahh…" Amy mumbled on, suddenly embarrassed.

"Could you repeat that?"

She swallowed.

"Do you love m-Maglevs! Maglevs! The trains." She finally said. dammit.

Sheldon's eyes lit up at the question.

"Yes of course! I've never ridden one but they go up to speeds of 430 kilometers per hour and they-"

"Um, yes, alright, I understand Sheldon." The neurobiologist said quickly to stop him. She mentally kicked herself from changing topic so suddenly, and stupidly. Dammit Fowler!

"Well, I don't think there are enough cards to continue so I declare myself as the winner!" Sheldon said proudly.  
"I suppose that's fair, you did ask the most questions." Amy said, getting up and clearing away the now empty tea cups. She looked back at her boyfriend who was now arranging the cards and patting it back into the little box from which it came. She took a deep breath.

"Hey Sheldon."

"Hmm?"

"I have another question."

Sheldon looked back at his girlfriend, slightly confused.

"But Amy, the game's over. Asking a question now would be mooching off the winner's loot."

The neurobiologist pouted, audibly sighing. She went back to cleaning the tea mugs and placing them back in her cupboard.

* * *

"Uh, Leonard?" Alex popped up at the door of the experimental physicist's lab. "I think Dr. Cooper left his keys in his office, do you think I should go down to his place to return them?" Leonard looked up for a moment before shrugging it off. "Nah, that's okay, he's with Amy, he'll be fine. I'll return them to him tonight." Leonard said as he walked over taking the keys from the young assistant. "But thanks anyway!" With a smile, Alex left the lab.

* * *

"Amyyy"

"…"

"Amyyy!"

"…"

"AMYYY!"

"What?!" The neurobiologist said with a huff as she spun on her seat to face Sheldon.

"Isn't it common courtesy that the guest in one's home must be attended to at all times?"

"Sheldon I have to work."

"Amy, I'm sure your work in Neurobiology is brilliant, but you have one of the greatest minds of the 21st century in your living room. Show some respect."

"You show some respect." Amy muttered under her breath as she got up to get a bottle of water from the fridge. Being under fire from UCLA as well as having to take care of a sexy toddler got frustrating sometimes.

"Here your high-mindedness." She grumbled, tossing the water bottle on his lap. He flinched as the cold bottle touched his legs and looked up at Amy.

"Are you…upset with me?" He asked, unsure of his crime.

"A little."

"Why?"

"You can't insult someone's work like that Sheldon, Neurobiology is hard work and I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat it like it was some indie Nebraskan science program!" Amy plopped down in the cushion beside her boyfriend, looking at the ground. Sheldon, who was visibly shaken, set down the bottle he was still holding and scooted closer to his girlfriend, even if that "closer" was still a forearm away from her.

"Amy, of course your work is important. I never said it wasn't, I'm just really bored." Sheldon's tone was gentle, as if he was talking to a baby bird. She looked up at her boyfriend, smiling then scooting a little closer.

"Fair enough, so what do you want to do then?"

"Well, I could answer that question you said you had for me…?" his voice was so innocent and his expression so meek that she almost felt guilty for snapping at him…almost.

"It's okay Sheldon, it's nothing."  
"Oh good. I didn't want to give up my prize." He said, instantly reverting back to the obnoxious man that Amy knew… and loved. She's struggled with it quite enough, and maybe she thought that he would feel the same with a little patience. Maybe she was wrong, after all, Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper was full of surprises.

"Of course not." Amy replied, trying to hide her sadness. "Maybe Penny was right, I don't really have a boyfriend." She thought to herself as she walked back to her computer which had test results covering the screen.

"Oh and Amy?"

"Yes Sheldon?"

"Thanks for letting me spend the day here, it's been a lot of fun." Sheldon said, smiling, as he settled into the couch to watch some more television.

Then again, Sheldon _is _full of surprises...

* * *

"I'M NOT TAKING YOUR DOG TO DISNEYLAND."

"But Howard-"

"Listen, I'm working my ass off for a project, Bernie's in the middle of a breakthrough, I've FINALLY gotten to the boss level in Super Mario-"

"But Cinnamon needs her weekly trip-"

"Sorry buddy, but my hands are tied."

"You suck."

* * *

It was nearing 8 o' clock when Amy finally turned away from her work and saw Sheldon in a corner of the room. Glancing at the clock, she realized how much time had passed. "Eight already?" Amy thought to herself.

"You okay Sheldon?" She asked him. He looked up from the book he was reading and looked towards the clock. "Eight already?"

"Yup."

"What a shame, you have very interesting primate books."  
"Thank you."

Sheldon got up, returning the book to its proper shelf and glancing at his phone.

_Leonard Hofstader – Just finishing up some work. I'll be at Amy's soon._

He sighed slightly, mostly for the ambiguity in the exact fetching time. All the while, Amy had gotten up to retrieve a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Was that Leonard?"

"Yes, and yet again his record for vague concept of time is unbeaten."

"It's alright Sheldon, if you want, I can offer you dinner here?"

"No that's quite alright." Sheldon said rather reluctantly. He began preparing himself to leave the apartment as Amy fussed with some cold pizza when-

BZZZZT

The lights went out.

"Uh-oh."

* * *

**A/N: Yup, I did it. I put in a plot twist with no prior lead-in. Whatever, it's 12AM, I should be asleep, and you should review. Thanks guys! **


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